Hanging
by Irith Ayllistira
Summary: "If you can't bear the most irrevocable details about how my life turned out to be, turn away. It was not a fairytale. You will cry. You will laugh. But I promise you this: you'll never be truly prepared for what you're about to read"
1. Chapter 1

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p><em>I am glad you stumbled upon this journal.<em>

_I never thought about the consequences. I was too young. I was too naïve. Gothel never treated me again with respect. She didn't spoil me with her gifts anymore, nor sang to me bedtime songs nor talked to me for entire nights about the world out there. She never smiled again. And neither did I._

_I expected pain, but not so much pain. I expected loneliness but not that much loneliness. I expected despair... but I had never thought about death until she took me to Eugene's hanging._

_I have a story to tell you._

_It's a long story. A true story. The legacy of a myth that haunted the kingdom of Corona for many long years. I was the core of that myth – and I was the core and the cause of much tragedy. You could think that when Eugene took me to see the lanterns you were half-way into the story – you were mistaken. That was only the beginning of all the misfortune that was about to fall upon our lives._

_I promise you will cry. I promise you will laugh. If you aren't searching for the truth, close this journal. If you can't bear the most irrevocable details about how my life turned out to be, turn away. It was not a fairytale. It was not what I dreamed it would be. But I promise you this: you'll never be truly prepared for what you're about to read because not even in your wildest dreams you could imagine such conclusion to my tale. _

_And when I promise something, I never, ever, break that promise._

_My name is Rapunzel. _

_And this is the story of how I died._

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><p>Gothel's nails dug into her young flesh. Unable to resist her mother's deathly grip, Rapunzel forced herself to look up. She saw a row of black-cloaked men facing the gallows, all of them looking at the muddy floor beneath their feet, trying to focus on something else besides their imminent death. A couple of crows flew over the courtyard, crying in a shrill, melancholic melody. Rapunzel stood there, unmoving, touching the sides of her black-laced dress, the last tribute her mother had offered her before the hanging. A last sign of respect, maybe. Or perhaps the utter need to detach the sadness and desperation that had fallen upon Rapunzel.<p>

She saw him. A brief shriek slipped through her throat, lost in the middle of the crowd. Gothel strengthened her grip on the girl's arm and further dug her blood-red nails into her skin. Rapunzel felt the urge to scream, to call out for his name, asking him to look at her one more time before he hung lifeless from the gallows.

But Eugene didn't look back. He simply stood there, his eyes lost on the loops of the rope, his mind numb with the drugs they had administered him to unable him from fighting the noose.

The crows cried one more time and Eugene stepped onto the platform, slowly climbing the three-legged bench that would be removed from under his feet. Tears slowly trailed down Rapunzel's face, lost beneath the transparency of her dark veil. Her hair had been pulled back under a thicker dark veil and braided to cover its length. She was wearing black like a widow. She was wearing black because that was the last reverence she could make to the man she loved. Rapunzel knew that she would never be able to wear other colors again because her heart would never be cleansed from the darkness that Gothel had swept over it. She was to be a widow until the day she died. She was to be alone and unloved until the day she died.

Eugene. Eugene had loved her.

He stepped onto the bench. She searched for his eyes.

"EUGENE!"

Once again he didn't look. In an act of desperation, Rapunzel launched herself forward into the middle of the crowd, pushing everyone in her way and opening a path to the platform. And Eugene never looked at her, solemnly fixing the horizon as if lost in a strange nirvana that utterly prepared him for the hour of his death.

A strange pain suddenly coursed through her, numbing her senses. She felt like she was falling to the floor but couldn't feel her arms and legs hitting the ground nor could hear anymore the sound of the crowd cheering around her. She knew that she was on the floor, because people's shoes were levelled with her line of sight and although she fought to rise and to see her love for one last time her body wouldn't obbey her.

And then she saw her mother's eyes, dark with cruelty. Gothel pulled her up and slapped her in the face and then hit her hard on the chest. All air slipped out of her lungs and Rapunzel reached out for air, panting in an effort to remain alive.

"Look, Rapunzel, look at him dying. You deserve it, you horrible, cruel devil."

Her green eyes met his and even through the veil, she understood that Eugene had recognized her at last. She smiled and with her smile tears burst from her eyes. She was slapped again. But she couldn't feel the pain anymore.

A black-cloaked man reached for the edge of the bench were Eugene stood. Rapunzel flinched and her face transfigured into a mask of ever-lasting despair.

And in that precise moment, everything was turned upside down.

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><p><strong>Leave feedback. Are you liking the introduction? Worth continuing? Let's be honest here: I won't write for an empty audience. That's what reviews are about. So if you like it and want me to continue it, <span>click the button below and let me know.<span>**


	2. Chapter 2

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p>His limbs were numb. His vision was overcrowded with wisps of light, white dots and dark blurs. A greater, shapeless light seemed like a great, pale star that moved through a thickening darkness. A darkness that blackened and drew together and sounded like the void itself. And after a while he saw at the faint outermost edge of the light a figure that came towards him over the crowd. It was shapeless at first, but as it drew nearer it took on the form of a girl, a girl whose expression he knew far too well. He tried to fight the numbness and the hopelessness that had fallen upon him since they had administered him the drugs but they were far too powerful and once again he fell into the vegetable state in which he had been for the past couple of hours. In his mind he screamed, wordlessly crying her name. But his sense couldn't reach the notion of words and so he stood silent, deaf and paralysed.<p>

"EUGENE!"

With an otherworldly effort, he finally managed to glance at the figure. He fought to open his mouth, to mutter the words he wished to say. But nothing came out and darkness flooded over him.

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><p>"EUGENE!" Rapunzel managed to climb onto the platform, stumbling forwards and pushing away the executioner. When she managed to hold Eugene's hand, his eyes abruptly closed and he fell onto the floor, unconscious. She knelt besides him but was quickly dragged away by the executioner's strong, bulky arms. He threw her onto the edge of the platform and she fell to the ground, hitting her head on the stone pavement. Blinded by the blood that streamed from the deep wound on her forehead, Rapunzel fought to rise again but was trampled by the cheering crowd that reached out for the platform, excited about the whole new drama. Cleaning the blood from her face with the back of her hand, she managed to get up, searching in vain for traces of Gothel and once again climbed to the stage.<p>

This time she wasn't ignored by the guards. One of them stepped down the ledge and held her by her shoulders, pushing her through the crowd. Only when a thin drop of blood ran down Rapunzel's white throat she noticed that he was pressing a knife against her neck. She was shaking, barely able to maintain herself up, fear holding all of her senses together. She searched the inside of her cloak for the end of her braided hair as if the touch could reassure her and calm her down; but all thought of peace was shattered when she saw her mother whispering to the man that held her; and the smirk that tugged at the corner of his lips couldn't be more devilish than the devil's itself.

When she started to fight back, the man took a flask from a pocket of his trench-coat and waved it under her nose. Rapunzel whimpered when she inhaled the sour, toxic vapour and instantly her mind was numb with the drug. She fought the darkness that threatened to overwhelm her and scooted back in alarm, urging her body to keep herself awake. Her vision started to dim and her feet dragged behind her as gravity pulled her towards the floor. However, the man's everlasting grip didn't decrease and with a wide gesture he throwed her into a dark cell.

She knew she was barely awake; all she could discern now was the rough straw beneath her and the silent blackness that drew into her mind. She knew she was going to pass away; and she knew, with a sudden burst of terror, that after she passed away, the most horrible things could happen while she slept.

The guard's eyes glowed in a predatory blaze. Swift but slowly he made his way towards her and knelt besides her shaking body. He tugged at her veil and tore it apart, revealing the luscious golden locks. She whimpered when his hand grabbed her neck, drawing rough circles on her skin; his hand slowly descended towards her shoulder and ripped the cloth off. Rapunzel's hands flew to his as she tried to pry off his grip but it felt useless against his own strength.

With a sudden, superior surge of force, Rapunzel leapt out and tried to run for the exit but she hadn't gotten two steps away when the man threw her back down on the floor. Weakened by her own burst of strength, Rapunzel couldn't fight him when he pressed the full length of his body against hers and she smelled the moist odour of his neck.

And even if most of her mind was numb, she was able to understand something – the man that was about to rape her was no guard nor soldier. His scent was not one of a rough man that came from the barracks; the way he moved on top of her wasn't the desperation that so surely characterized most of the ignorant and unenlightened men that lived on the country. As he rip apart the rest of her dress, she felt the soft touch of his own clothing: and they weren't rough or poor like the tunics of most soldiers and instead felt like smooth silk rubbing against her stomach and against her chest.

Whenever she had enough strength she would struggle and tears of repulse would ran down her cheeks. The air around her, damp with sweat and other odours that she couldn't even recognize, mixed with his own perfume. She sobbed and struggled with renewed vigor when she felt his hands caressing her creamy thighs; and burst in tears when he finally spoke to her and his words couldn't be more cruel or evil:

"Be quite now. You deserve it." And his hand grabbed her hair while Rapunzel wept in shame, sobbing and thrashing away from his own naked body.

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><p><em>Flower, gleam and glow. Let your power shine. Make the clock reverse...<em>

_Make the clock reverse. _

She cried. Pain flooded through her body. She was alone in the dark. There was no music nor books to comfort her. All she could listen to was the prevailing silence and the faint thumping of footsteps in the floor above. Everything smelled badly: sweat, filth and mud and the pungent smell of her own blood.

She had been sitting there, in the dark, for a couple of hours. None had come to her but she knew that soon Gothel would visit her; she wouldn't dare to stay away from her power for too long. Finding no strength to sing again her healing song, Rapunzel had searched in the faint light for bruises and gashes on her skin and slowly cured her body to the state it was before. But her pride would never be healed. Her humiliation would never leave her. She was marked for life, she knew it. However, stirring up the past wouldn't amend her own current problems and would further worsen her situation as her mind reached that threshold of self-pity and madness. And Rapunzel was a brave young woman, and therefore would never let herself give up on achieving her freedom.

She rose cautiously and grasped the iron bars. It was hard to stand on her feet but her healing powers had done wonders for her body. She admitted that if she didn't receive the sun's gift, she might have died with her wounds. And she strongly believed that it was the sun's gift that offered her the courage and the ability to carry on.

"Hello?"

The voice echoed shortly and then divided as if there were many obstacles beyond the bars. A sneer answered her call and then the sound of feet scarping the dirty floor reached towards her.

"We all thought you were dead" said a sardonic voice, the voice of a thug. Men all over the prison corridor laughed and roughly stomped their feet as if cheering for more pain. Rapunzel instinctively backed away from the bars, thinking about curling up into a ball in the corner of her cell. But, remembering her so hard-earned courage, she once again stepped to the bars.

"Are we in prison?"

They all laughed again but this time the sound was fainter.

"Yes, darling. You are in prison. Tell us, for we are dying of curiosity: are you a whore? Did you try to slip in the king's bed? Because the man that came down here to fuck you was no beggar, if you know what I mean" the laughter decreased into silence as Rapunzel's answer was delayed. She fought her tears back, memories of the rape once again assaulting her memory. _Endure, Rapunzel. Endure. Your role on this story hasn't end. _

"Do you know Eug-" she stumbled on the word and gasped at the thought of him. She missed him so much. The last time she spoke to him they were on the riverside and he had gone to return the crown. Then Gothel had found her and hid her in the tower again. And after much screaming, yelling and hitting, she dragged Rapunzel down to Corona to watch the hanging of her lover. _The criminal is to be hanged for his crimes. _Those were words Rapunzel would never forget.

"Do you know Flynn Rider?"

They stood silent for moments, whispering between them.

"Flynn Rider is a bastard and an asshole. Don't tell us you've developed a crush on him, blondie. Not even hookers have their way with him."

She thought about her next words; if she didn't speak cautiously they wouldn't answer her back. She shouldn't be harsh but couldn't be submissive or else they wouldn't respect her. She inhaled deeply, retaining her sense.

"Have you heard about his hanging?"

This time another man spoke. His voice dragged a strange accent but was less coarse than that of his companion "Of course we have. He didn't leave this place without fighting for his freedom. And asked about a girl, said she was in danger-" he then stopped and she swore she could hear the smirk in his voice "Are _you_ that girl?"

He didn't leave her after all. He didn't exchange her for the crown. Tears filled her eyes. Gothel had lied to her. She had lied to her all the time.

"Do you know if he-" she swallowed the word for it was far too strong to speak it out loud "Did he-"

"Did he _die?"_ he specially highlighted that word "Well, blondie ask your _friend" _and all the thugs burst into a maniac laughter. Rapunzel flinched at the sound and backed away into the corner of her cell, whimpering when the cold air from the tiny window touched her bare skin. He had torn her dress apart and only rags covered her nakedness and hid the bruises that she didn't manage to heal. Shivering and curling up into a ball, she arranged the locks of her hair until they covered her trembling body and rested her head on the straw. More then ever she felt the weight of loneliness and of trauma holding her down – ignoring Eugene's criminal closure, she trembled with the thought of him lying dead in a dirty ditch.

Trying to comfort herself, Rapunzel imagined his hands holding hers tightly, reassuring and comforting her, whispering words of consolation in her ear. But he wasn't there. Perhaps she would never see him again – perhaps he was further tortured or humiliated in front of Corona's people. Perhaps they all laughed when he was executed and even cheered for the hangman to play with his dead body. Probably they sighed with relief when the most wanted thief of the kingdom lay dead on the courtyard, his own blood wetting the courtyard's cobblestones.

"_Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine... Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine..."_ she muttered instinctively, blocking away the dark feelings that created the uttermost havoc in her mind.

"Singing won't keep you alive, girl" shouted one of the thugs "After what that guy has done to you we all thought you were ripped apart to death."

Rapunzel covered her ears when the prisoners burst into laughter one more time. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, rocking herself and ignoring the pain that came in waves from the bottom of her stomach. She was broke, tore apart. But she had to resist. She had to resist.

She heard footsteps. Light footsteps. The person stopped near the bars but Rapunzel didn't dare raise her eyes. She heard the scraping of nails against the metal and the steady, regular breathing of a woman. Blinking to fight away the tears, she held her breath. She was prepared for anything.

But if she thought she was prepared, she was terribly mistaken.

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><p><strong>Review. I'm testing waters around here so I need to know what kind of reactions I'm provoking. This is a style that I've never tried out before so tell me if I'm doing it right. Also wanted to thank you for the feedback on the last chapter. I think I am on a roll right now so that explains the very quick update. I admit it: I'm loving the way this story is building up in my head. Hugs ~Irith<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p><em>If you are reading this, it means you were brave enough to keep reading my story. As you now know, my life wasn't a bed of roses. The people of Corona were far more evil and ignorant than I had ever thought. After all, what I saw in my 18th birthday looked like a perfect kingdom, where people hid their problems and the conflicts that plagued their lives. I was ready to embrace that lovely place and live happily ever after. I was ready to accept that the world outside my tower was a beautiful place, full of opportunities and dreams. <em>

_But I was wrong. And if you ever thought that Corona was the perfect kingdom... _

_Well, you were wrong, too._

_You see, if Gothel ever said something to me that I really considered true, it was this: "The world is dark, and selfish, and cruel. If it finds even the slightest ray of sunshine, it destroys it"_

_And I warn you again: This is a long, true story. It's filled with the most dark details about my life. If you thought that what happened to me at that cell was shocking, hold yourself together for what follows next. _

_But someone will be brave enough to keep reading. _

_Someone will be brave enough to hear my story._

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><p>Even before he opened his eyes, he was able to sense everything around him; the air didn't smell of mud and dirt anymore nor he could hear the cry of the crows and the hard, cold stone floor beneath him. Instead everything smelled of a sweet perfume and the mattress under his body was so soft that he felt like he was lying on the clouds. A white, heart-warming light peeked through his closed lids but he dare not open them; carefully stretching his arms and legs, Eugene buried his head on the soft pillow, smelling the wonderful flowery aroma that seemed to penetrate in everything around him. Oh, and the everlasting silence that made his mind blank with ease and all his worries slid back into oblivion.<p>

Eugene opened his eyes. He was in a circular room, a room bathed with the sunlight that peeked through an adorable window. The ceiling was covered with painting: suns, stars and fairies eloped into an intricate dance bound with the strokes of a very skilled artist. Everything else in the room was very feminine: from the white laced canopy to the furry pink carpets that covered the floor. However, even for Eugene who laughed at exceeded femininity, he found that room adorable, as if contained with young dreams and hope.

"Good morning."

The woman that stood near the arch held a steaming cup in her hand and a kind smile on her lips. She sat on the bed and placed the cup on the bedside table. She then proceeded to smooth the folds of her deep-red dress and flashed her white smile at him once again.

"Have you slept well?"

Eugene looked dumb at the woman. She didn't look old but he knew she wasn't very young. Her curly, black hair was streaked with white locks; her long, red nails softly scraped his wrist and her smile was twisted into a seducing expression.

"Have they cut out your tongue? Speak, boy."

"I have slept well, thank you." Eugene looked at the woman and then at the room. Surely that adorable, innocent place didn't belong to her. Its perfume surely didn't emanate from her. There was something very old or even ancient coming out of her eyes – and suddenly Eugene understood that even if her skin looked smooth, that woman wasn't the age she appeared to be.

"Do you remember anything?"

He did. Slowly his memory started to get back together: he was to be hanged and his mind was frustratingly numb with the drugs. He remembered being dragged to the platform where the gallows were and climbing onto a small bench; he also remembered the crowd cheering and the executioner's dark frown; the slippery wooden floor beneath his bare feet and the touch of the morning fog infiltrating through the rags of his clothing; the moist of his damp hair and the buzzing of the flies as they clustered around his wounded hands.

And then he remembered the dark-clad figure that ran towards him and climbed to the platform, being thrown to the ground by the hangman – he remembered a glimpse of red blood running down her veiled face and the desperation that transfigured her expression.

And with a gasp, he raised on his elbows.

"Rapunzel...-,I..- I need to see her" throwing back the blankets he searched for his boots and his knife, just to find out that he was naked. Not even worrying about his nudity, Eugene roamed around the room, searching frantically for his clothing and his weapons. But when he found none, he turned to the red-clad woman and the friendly smile that he expected to see on her face had vanished, replaced by a somber smirk.

"Do you know where you are, thief?"

"Wha-...No. What happened? I-Rapunzel, she-"

"You are in Rapunzel's tower. This is her bed." She smiled "and I am her mother."

He was taken aback. He couldn't understand. The last thing he remembered was losing his conscience and falling to the floor – after that, he only saw darkness.

"Where is she? What have you done to her?"

The woman laughed in a horrid, wicked way.

"She is getting what she deserved. That little bastard thought she would run away from me, didn't she? A horrible child. Such deception. Such betrayal."

"Rapunzel is a good daughter. Don't harm her. She doesn't deserve it."

She laughed once again. Walking towards one of the walls, she looked amusingly at the picture of a smiling, golden-haired girl. She spat on it. Shocked, Eugene caught the glimpse of the shining of the blade hidden in her cloak. Aware that he was unarmed and completely defenceless, he vainly tried to retain his composure.

"Where is Rapunzel?"

"Away. Probably dead."

Eugene sneered. "You would never kill her. Without her you would die."

Gothel smiled amusingly and walked towards him. With a smirk she ran her palm along his chest, feeling his smooth hair and the small bumps of the white scars that crossed his skin. Her hand paused in his lower stomach and started to thrum on his hips. With the other hand, she lift his chin.

"You are smart, thief. I admit it. But you just don't have what it takes." She slapped him. Eugene grasped her wrist with such strength that it turned her whole hand white. However, Gothel still managed a smile and with her other hand she clawed at the skin of his hand. Eugene grunted and threw her to the floor, ignoring the blood that traced down his wrist from the five wounds on the back of his hand. In his rage he tried to choke her but his legs gave in and he fell to the floor, panting from the effort – the last remains of the drugs still ran on his blood, and the effects of the medication weakened him. Perhaps even Gothel had drugged him in his sleep so that he wasn't able to hurt her.

"Stop acting like a fool" she spat, this time with no honey in her voice "You kill me, you'll never find out where's Rapunzel."

"I was going to die there" he managed to say, his voice weak "how did you get me out of there? What do you want to do with me?"

"You were drugged too heavily before the hanging – even before they stretched out your neck, you fell to the floor, unconscious. Your heart stopped beating and they thought you were as good as dead. So they threw you into a ditch and I came for you."

"You knew I wasn't dead?"

"Yes. I was the one who gave you that drug."

Eugene grunted "For what purpose? Let me get out of here!"

"Not so fast, big boy. You aren't getting anywhere." She slapped him again but this time Eugene couldn't find the strength to fight back. At his helplessness Gothel couldn't stop herself from smiling and eventually sat back on Rapunzel's bed, much more calm. "You are my slave now. You will do as I say."

"Or what?" he sneered.

"If you don't, I will kill Rapunzel."

"You will never kill Rapunzel!"

She laughed. "No? Perhaps not. But I promise you I will make her suffer. She is in pain, right now."

Eugene fought to stand up. "What have you done to her?"

"Me? Nothing. Someone else did."

"What-what did they do to her?"

Gothel rose and knelt besides Eugene. Adopting a mocking expression she looked him in the eye.

"Rapunzel was raped. Rapunzel's insides were tore apart. A man fucked her until she lost her conscience. Her virginity isn't yours anymore, so you can stop having wet dreams about my daughter. She now has a corrupted body that matches her corrupted soul."

Eugene roared and with a last thrust of his strength he reached for Gothel's throat. He wanted to choke her to death; he wanted to throw her corpse in the mud and spit in it, just like the way she did at Rapunzel's painting. Desperate tears ran down his cheeks as he sobbed and bellowed at the same time. But Gothel was faster and swifter than him and quickly made her way across the room and into the door. Just before she lifted the thick, red curtain, she reached for a silver hair-brush and threw it to the floor.

"This was hers. Cry over it as you wish. I can't help but smiling everytime I watch a full-grown man sob like a child in front of me. I guess it just makes my day."

And she left the room, leaving Eugene looking blankly at the hairbrush, his body and mind too tired to cry or fight anymore.

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><p>She heard footsteps. Light footsteps. The person stopped near the bars but Rapunzel didn't dare raise her eyes. She heard the scraping of nails against the metal and the steady, regular breathing of a woman. Blinking to fight away the tears, she held her breath. She was prepared for anything.<p>

But if she thought she was prepared for what would follow, she was terribly mistaken.

"Rapunzel."

The voice wasn't a woman's voice. It was a man's. She didn't move. The sound echoed through the corridor. None of the thugs said a word. Rapunzel couldn't even hear their sharp breathing. She lowered a hand to the floor, feeling the hard, dirty cobblestones and the rough straw, just to be sure that she was in the exact same place. Feeling it beneath her fingers she flinched and her hand curled again under her knees. Rapunzel was now aware of_ both _presences. The woman was still scraping her nails against the bars; her presence seemed incredibly close. She recognized that man's voice and whimpered at the sound of his voice tone. He knew her name. And she felt that if he knew her name, he could do anything to her.

"Rapunzel, raise your head."

Conducted by some strange force, she did raise her head. The woman was a simple servant, wearing a grey patched old dress that barely covered enough skin to be considered clothing. Her hair was frizzed and looked like a cloud of red hair aound her blotched face. But Rapunzel didn't pay much attention to the maid, for the man behind her filled her with fear.

"Hello, dear." He smirked.

She didn't want to look at him, but conscience utterly forced her to face her rapist. His face was partially hidden in the shadows and his body looked immense in the darkness, painfully strong, healthy and bulky. If Rapunzel was in any other situation she would have looked at the man with amusement – his jade eyes smiled at her through the shadows and the thin line of his mouth rose into a seductive smirk. Everything in his face was perfect and yet dangerous. He wore the clothing of a prince and his long, blond hair fell to his shoulders, tightened in a braid.

But Rapunzel couldn't notice any of that. In her eyes, that man was a monster. A ugly, horrible creature that had taken her innocence from her. In her eyes, he was nothing but an ignorant, cruel, vile beast; and just at the thought of those hands touching her body, she wept silently, trying to get away from him.

"Are you feeling better now?"

She didn't answer. Humiliated tears ran down her cheeks. All the strength and determination that she had collected in the past hours now slipped between her fingers, reduced to ashes. She wasn't feeling powerful or strong anymore. She felt that the man standing a few feet from her could easily kill her with his bare hands; she felt that the man standing a few feet from her had managed to completely shift her vision about the world.

She heard him kneel near the bars.

"Rapunzel, my darling, I have a great idea. I think you should leave this cell: What do you think?"

Rapunzel backed away in terror and she felt her heart pounding so fast that she feared it might escape through her throat. No! She didn't want to be near that monster. She couldn't stand the thought of him touching her anymore. She wanted Eugene to hold her. She wanted Eugene. Eugene. Eugene. _Eugene._

"I won't go" she managed to say, between sobs. "Leave me alone—"

"Leave you alone? Oh, Rapunzel, I believe that's not possible. You see, I have many things to tell you."

"GO AWAY!"

He laughed sweetly, as if he was hearing the tantrum of a child. Then the laugh was replaced by a dark chuckle and Rapunzel's heart tightened in terror.

"Rapunzel, do you know who you are?"

She didn't answer. She knew. She knew she was the Lost Princess. When she tried to get away from Gothel and return to Corona to earn her right to the throne, Gothel chained her and hit her until she was knocked out. Then, waking up without any strength left to fight, Gothel told her that they were going to see Eugene one last time – at his hanging.

Rapunzel didn't have the time to even think about being the Lost Princess. Now that she thought about it, after knowing the truth, Rapunzel only had time to fight to survive. It had been a great struggle and everything that was bad in the world seemed to have fallen upon her in the last few hours.

The man chuckled again.

"You are the Lost Princess, Rapunzel" he cleared his throat "The Queen and King are far away. They travelled the past week to a country across the sea – a diplomatic visit, I believe. So at the moment... they don't actually know we have found you."

Rapunzel looked at his cruel eyes. Everything about that situation seemed to delight him.

"They—They don't know?"

"No. They have no idea their precious little girl was found. The woman that found you will be largely awarded. I think she will even become a hero to the kingdom. The woman that found the Lost Princess on the Lantern's Day. Everyone will believe it to be a miracle."

Rapunzel whimpered at the thought. Gothel would be powerful and would be loved by the whole kingdom. She would even be respected by her own parents, the King and Queen. And they would never believe that that woman held her in that tower for eighteen years of her life just to have access to her healing powers. They would never believe that the woman they considered to be a hero was actually the villain of the story.

"And there's something else I should tell you, Rapunzel." He continued.

She held her breath, waiting for the next words.

"My name is Jasper. Prince Jasper of Corona and your second cousin. And, according to the rules of the royal lineage, I am your husband-to-be."

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><p>AN: Please tell me what you think. What do you think will/should happen next? Leave your comments and opinions by clicking the review button. I love all that reviewed, I am really glad you are enjoying this twisted, wretched thing I'm building up in my head.


	4. Chapter 4

By_ Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p>Jasper led Rapunzel through a well-lit corridor. The castle was empty, for the moon now shone high above the cerulean blue roof. She still wore the ragged, black-laced clothing, ripped at the shoulders and showing her legs up to her thighs. He opened a door to the right and pushed her inside the room. It was dark but smelled of clean sheets and the burning of the little fireplace at the corner of the room. Rapunzel was breathing heavily – her insides still hurt but the wounds and bruises were now healed; what hurt her most was the light touch on her arm, the burning of Jasper's fingers on her skin, the sound of his voice, the glance of his jade eyes upon her body.<p>

"Do you like it in here?" he asked with a sarcastic tone. Rapunzel walked across the room, feeling the soft carpet under her toes. So that was the room of a princess. She didn't even feel the curiosity of exploring her huge room further – the feeling of the prince's presence behind her fill her with panic, the irrational fear of more pain.

"I—" He went beside her and placed a kiss on her neck. It could have been gentle if his hand didn't trail around her waist to cup her breast. She jerked away and tripped on the floor, only to fall upon the soft feather-mattress. Jasper smirked and leaned forwards, placing one knee between her legs . His gaze raced down her body, from her chest to her core, down to her slim legs. Rapunzel closed her eyes in fear, and felt the trickle of salty tears on her cheeks.

"Get dressed" he said in a harsh tone. Rising, he opened the wardrobe and picked a dark purple dress.

Throwing it on top of her half-naked figure, he added: "You look like a whore."

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><p>Rapunzel curled inside her bed. She still wore the purple dress that Jasper had ordered her to wear, afraid of him finding out that she had refused his order. She was terrified. He was her husband-to-be. Her parents were far away and when they returned, she would tell them all the story – how about Gothel sold her to Jasper and had her raped on that jail. But what if—What if they didn't believe her? They probably had known the prince for many years and Rapunzel was just a girl that had come from an unknown place, bearing unknown words. Even if she was their true daughter... would they ever believe her words?<p>

She covered her head with the pillow. Oh, how she wanted to be in her tower again, unaware of her mother's true identity, content with the life she had in that place, where she could paint, read and play with Pascal...

Pascal. How was Pascal? She had left him in the tower, thinking she would be back soon enough. What if Gothel had hurt him? What if she had found out about him and killed him?

Rapunzel wept. She had been so stupid, wanting to see the floating lights. Now those lanterns seemed so small compared to the huge problem she was in. Eugene could be dead, Pascal could be dead and her future was now laced with the unbearable thought of infinite suffering. She had exchanged all that unquestionable happiness with the only, silly choice of having Eugene take her to see the lights. If he didn't climb her tower that morning, she was probably still in her room, wondering about the world out there.

"Are you hungry?"

Jasper leaned against the door, arms crossed against his chest. Rapunzel slowly removed the pillow from her head and observed the man. A very, very small part of her mind humiliatingly admitted he was a fine man; beneath the harsh words and the rude gestures, there was something remarkably princely about him; the way he moved and stood; his delicate but manly hands, adorned with thin gold rings had a special way of touching things. The clothes he wore were always impeccably smooth; his skin, flawless, with no signs of beard.

He was a fine man, indeed. And that thought, the smallest hint of denied attraction deeply stored in Rapunzel's heart filled her with shame. Nonetheless, he was her rapist and therefore the person she most hated in her life.

"I _asked_, are you hungry?"

Rapunzel didn't answer. She didn't remember the last time she ate; the last thing she had tasted in her mouth was the blood from the gashing wound Jasper had made when he bit her lip.

"No."

"You need to eat."

She smiled at the sentence. Was he now worried about her life? Worried that she might lose some weight?

"But I am not hungry."

"Nevertheless, you will eat."

"I really don't feel like—"

"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY!"

As he bellowed that sentence, Jasper strode towards the bed and grasped her bare thighs, ignoring her pleadings and her tears. Instead of pushing them further apart, he pulled the girl towards him and slapped her twice, pulling her hair in the proccess. Eventually Rapunzel's mouth found its way across his wrist and with a loud clench of her teeth she bit his arm.

Jasper yelled in pain and retreated, leaving Rapunzel sprawled on the bed, looking at his hand. Satisfied with the line of blood that started to trickle down from his wrist she reached for her pillow and threw it to his head, searching franticly for any other heavy object that could leave him unconscious. Finding none, she jolted up and ran for the door; she whimpered when a strong pair of muscled arms grabbed her by the waist, the blood that gushed from the mark on his wrist staining her dress. She fought back, kicking and punching his stomach whenever her fists got loose from his grip; her struggle seemed to continue for hours until the prince kicked her knee, forcing her to fall on her back, spread on the floor. Rapunzel lept out towards the door, trying to rip away the uncomfortably complicated dress that he had forced her to wear.

Pulling Rapunzel by the tail of her dress, Jasper made the girl trip and hit her head against the hardwood door. Rapunzel felt a throbbing, flooding pain pierce through her skull; even her sight was affected, dotted with large, white blurs and the inability to detect light.

"YOU WILL DO AS I SAY, YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

He threw her to the floor and kicked her in the stomach. The pain was so intense that Rapunzel felt conscience drift away for a couple of seconds: she was unable to fight anymore or even cry. The strength in her body had left her, once again.

Jasper slammed the door, leaving Rapunzel curled in fetal position, her back against the wall. She struggled for air, feeling that her lungs had lost the capacity to retain oxygen. Dragging herself to the bed post, Rapunzel tried to rise, thinking that perhaps in a vertical position she could be able to breathe – when she found out that she couldn't, panic started to overwhelm her. She threw her hands around her throat in helplessness, a shrill sound escaping through her lips. She needed to breathe, she couldn't die now! Her hands tried to reach out for something, anything to hold on to. It was when she started to grasp at her hair, shacking uncontrollablly, that she felt something moist just above her ear.

When she glanced at the palm of her hand, the sight of her own thick blood made all air leave her lungs. The gold locks from the right side of her head had gone red and the blood started to run down her neck, soaking the remains of her cloathing and the carpet underneath.

As she rose her trembling hand, trying to touch the wound on her skull, strength abandoned her body and she blacked out.

* * *

><p>After a sonorous, rewarding <em>click!<em>, the window's lock broke open, falling to the ground with a loud _thump._ After searching around Rapunzel's dressing table, Eugene had found a box full of bobby pins with which he had been trying to break the lock that held together the shutters of the only small window. Being a very capable thief and a real handiworker around locks, Eugene had been famous for being able to pick almost any door, chest or gate in the whole kingdom. To much of his surprise, he had found out that the iron lock that Gothel had put in the window was incredibly complex and difficult to break open; but then again, it could be the mind-numbing drugs talking.

Flinging the window open, Eugene bent towards the sill, analyzing his situation. He had climbed that tower before with little effort and would be able to do it again. Although it was a long distance from the ground, with the help of a few objects scattered around the room he would be able to set up some kind of climbing tool that would let him lower himself down to the ground. But then again, feeling his limbs so numb and his mind so foggy, he couldn't simply trust his sense: if he somehow hurt himself, he would be completely unable to rescue Rapunzel.

"Where do you think you are going, sweetheart?"

Maintaining his cool composure, Eugene slowly turned around.

"Just admiring the weather, I believe."

Gothel frowned.

"Oh, snap the humor, you bastard! You are not leaving this tower, unless I say so."

Eugene politely nodded, closing again the shutters behind him, careful about making the absence of the lock going unnoticed. He had been in that tower for hours and after an awful amount of encounters with Mother Gothel, he had quickly perceived that the best way of getting out of there was not by the means of force or brute strength, but by the means of his own expert silver tongue.

"Who raped Rapunzel?"

The question was simple and the words hurt in his mouth. The bare thought of thinking about it made Eugene's insides twist with anger and repulse – and that was the exact same reason why she was so willing to talk about it. Seeing the sparkle of humiliation and desperation in the thief's eyes made Gothel feel so satisfied.

"You mean Jasper? Her husband-to-be?"

Eugene clenched his fists behind his back. _Husband-to-be? What kind of sick joke is that?_

"What do you mean?"

Gothel laughed amusingly.

"My love, don't tell me that you never considered _what_ Rapunzel was." Smiling at the confused expression on his face, she added "Rapunzel is the lost princess, you bastard!"

"—What?"

"You are such a fool. Think about it. A girl trapped in a tower, unable to leave it and see the world out there. Her _mother_, forbidding her to see the floating lights, released every year in honor of the princess's birthday. The match of Rapunzel's anniversary and the day the Lost Princess was born; Rapunzel's healing powers and extraordinary long hair. If you never considered such a thought, you are more idiot than I thought."

"I—" It all made sense now. He had been so blind! How could he not link every piece of the puzzle together? Such an obvious conclusion to such an obvious situation.

"Well, apparently you didn't think about it, which says two things about you: One, you are a fucking idiot. Two, you are honest enough to travel with a girl without the promising expenses of a royal matrimony. Which brings us to the question your just asked."

Eugene felt his throat dry out.

"The man that raped Rapunzel is her husband-to-be, prince Jasper of Corona. Their matrimony was arranged long before she was born and well, when she did, I took her out of her little crib. He has been waiting his whole life for her return – only when she marries him will he be able to inherit the throne and therefore become King of Corona after her father."

Eugene felt liquid anger burning in his veins. Struggling to keep his cool, calm features, he asked:

"Why returning her to Corona after keeping her hidden after all these years?"

"I never expected that the bastard would sneak out of the tower a few days ago. I never even consider the thought of her disobeying my orders— After she was completely exposed to the people in the kingdom, the only thing I could do was hand her over to her parents – while being considered a hero for returning their loving daughter and restore the kindgom's peace once again."

"They will believe her if she tells them otherwise."

"They won't. What value is the word of a girl I say I found lost in this horrible, dark world? What value is the word of the most wanted criminal in the whole kingdom, the one who stole the crown of the own princess I have just returned? Can't you see? Rapunzel is eighteen years old, barely a child. Her words are meaningless against the power and intricate policies of Corona. No one will listen to her. And neither to you, if you are even thinking about escaping."

"What about Jasper?"

"Jasper is the most trustworthy person in the entire kingdom. People in Corona saw him grow up in instead of the Lost Princess. The king considers Jasper is own son! Even if Rapunzel has the king's own blood coursing through her veins, what value is her word compared to that of the dearest friend of the royal family?"

"It has no value" concluded Eugene, laying against the cold wall. There was no more hope. Even if he was able to leave the tower, no one would believe their words, his and Rapunzel's. And Jasper could become a very dangerous rival, one that could lock Eugene forever in jail or even send him to the gallows to complete the job undone. Just thinking about his sweet, little girl, tortured by the hands and body of that fucking bastard.

He had to find a way out. Or else Rapunzel would suffer until the end of her life.

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><p><strong>AN: 1st - Thank you very much, unsigned annonymous reviewer, which I have no means to thank for the two reviews. I'm really glad you're liking the story so far, so keep on reading! :D**

**2nd - Wanted to apologize for the delay but I guess chapters will come slower now that I have a lot of things to work on, as well as "Shush" my other Tangled fic.**

**3rd - Reviews normally nullify the topic above! I _post _fanfiction to let fans read my stories. If I have an empty audience, I'd rather write for myself. Moral of the story: If you like this story, review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p>Rapunzel opened her eyes.<p>

A vast green field stretched in front of her. Here and there, small patches of golden flowers decorated the plush carpet of grass. The sun shone in a cloudless sky and it was as if she dove into the most wonderful of places.

And yet, she felt utterly sad. Although she tried to remember what could pain her so, Rapunzel could only understand what was around her: the warmth, the feel of the grass under her toes and the soft breeze. Whatever had troubled her mind, she could not remember it.

"Rapunzel."

She turned. A tall man stood in front of her; he had dark hair and dark eyes. A lock of hair fell a bit into his eyes and he had a scruffy goatee on the end of his chin. Somehow the man looked familiar: his pose, the arrogant twitch on the corner of his mouth; the way his hair shadowed his brown eyes.

"Do I know you?" she asked, surprised.

"Yes. You know me very well." The man leaned into her, cutting the distance between them. Rapunzel could feel the warmth of his breath as his lips closed on hers. His kiss was nothing like she felt before: it felt like _fire,_ it felt like _life._ She wanted to scream out loud, to free the demanding passion that his kiss woke. As she felt his tongue brushing her lower lip, Rapunzel pushed her body towards him, wanting to take all of him with her, knowing that they were one.

His arm encircles her body as she grasps the back of his head, pushing him further into her. He pulls her flush against him. _He smells of leather_, Rapunzel thought absently, _and of cinammon. He smells like sweat and soap. He smells like..._ she sighed as his hands found their way to her dress, ripping apart the delicate fabric that covered her body. "Tell me your name" she demanded, her lips pulling from his kiss.

"Eugene" his hands gently cupped her breasts. Pressing a knee between her thighs, Eugene pulled both of them into the ground, his body hovering over hers. Rapunzel gasped, a rush of pleasure filling her body. She tried to pull him down, shamelessly trying to achieve some relief from the building pressure. Her blood ran like fire through her veins. She had never felt so alive before.

She lifts his shirt as Eugene runs his hands down her body, feeling the bare skin underneath the fabric. Rapunzel surveys the expanse of smooth skin: as lust filled her she circles his chest with her hands, gently grazing his nipples with her fingertips. She feels his length pressed to her thigh; _I don't know what I'm feeling... Love? ...Lust? Everything in him is heartbreaking and although I feel at peace, something dark hovers above my soul. _

"Eugene..." his breath on her mouth; his heart, pressed flush into her palm as she touches the bare skin of his chest. _He's mine. I'm his. He's mine. _

_What once was mine. _

_What once was..._

"Good morning."

Rapunzel didn't know what awoke her: Jasper's voice or the throbbing pain that sudenly crashed into her skull. She immediately knew she was naked as she felt the soft silk sheets kissing her skin. And an unquestionable wetness between her legs that betrayed the sweet dream she just had.

"You have been dreaming for a while, sweetheart" the prince told her with a smirk "Do you remember last night?"

No. Of course she didn't. Jasper drugged her every night and raped her when she was asleep or numb with the pills. At first she fought against the drugs; but after three or four nights, she surrendered and knew that it was preferable to be asleep as Jasper did what he wanted to do with her. At least she couldn't see. At least she didn't feel the pain as he pushed himself inside her.

"Do you want me to tell you, hmm?" he caressed her cheek. His fingertips were rough and cruel. He dug his nail into her flesh. "Answer me, bitch."

"Yes." Her voice wasn't hers. Only pain. Only submission. Only obedience. "Tell me."

The prince looked satisfied "First, I opened your legs. You like to have your legs opened, you're such a whore. Then I pushed my cock into your cunt. Your cunt was so wet, you were loving it. I pumped and pumped and I pushed you against me. I was almost ripping you apart with my cock. You screamed my name, whore, and you said how much I was pleasing you."

_You liar_, Rapunzel thought. She wouldn't say it out loud. If she did, he would hit her.

"Then you sucked my cock. It reached your throat and you swallowed everything, like the nice girl you are. Then I fucked you again, once again, until you were bleeding and bruised. I love to see you bruised, whore. It means I made a good job."

She hated him. She never hated anyone else as much as she hated Jasper. She wanted to kill him, to stab him, to make him suffer. Oh, she had never been cruel – but this wasn't cruelty or revenge. It was a matter of justice.

_Justice_, she remembered herself.

_What once was mine. What once was mine. _

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><p><strong>AN: I'm so sorry guys. My life has been troubled lately. I don't have the time to do anything and fanfiction ended up to be the first thing I had to ignore for a while. This chapter was short, short enough to slowly letting me return to my old rhythm. I do not intend to stop writing this story, these characters have a LOT in store for them.  
><strong>

**I hope you still review. It still needs to be revised but this was the best I could do at midnight. **


	6. Chapter 6

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong> THE HANGING<strong>

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><p><em>I love you, Rapunzel. I have loved you since the day I first met you, although I was too craven to admit it. I couldn't understand how could I – Flynn Rider, a smuggler, a bandit, a man with no laws and no faith – ever come to love a sweet flower such as you, so innocent, so pure. I have been with many women and although many of them warmed my bed at night, none of them made me feel this way. It's not only lust. Not only passion, the one that makes me want to undress you and posess you right away. I have the need to protect you; to be with you. To whisper soft words in your year. I have the need to calm you down and craddle you in my arms. I need you. <em>

_I need you, Rapunzel. You are my fire, you are my life. You made me live again. And now you are the reason why I'm about to die. _

The words rang painfuly in his ears. Every night, right before he lay in her soft bed, Eugene would repeat those words, wishing that some god or angel could send his voice to her. _But it's impossible_, he knew. _She_ would never permit it. _She_ would never let him save Rapunzel. He was _hers_ to take, _hers_ to punish_. Gothel's._

"Good morning, sweetpie."

_No. Not again._ Eugene met the witch's gaze. She lightly scraped her nails against his wrist. Underneath the crimson silk robe, he knew she was naked.

"Have you slept well?"

_No. Never. And I won't rest until Rapunzel is safe. With me, in my arms. _"Yes."

Gothel smiled and tried to lean against him. Repulsed, Eugene rose and grabbed his breeches.

"Don't you want me?" she purred, stretching atop the bed.

_No. No. No. No. _As he laced his pants, Eugene shut his eyes and remembered Rapunzel's sweet face. _Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Rapunzel..._

"Are you thinking about her?" her voice _smiled_ " She's not thinking about you, sweetie. The bitch only thinks about Jasper. At least he got her into bed."

"Shut the fuck up" he grabbed Rapunzel's silver brush and shoved it to the witch. The object hit her head and she screamed, outraged. "How dare you? How dare you, bastard?" she climbed the bed, and tried to hit him but Eugene was stronger and shoved her against the bed.

_I have my strength back_, he thought, amused, feeling his body pulsing with his anger _I can do it. I can escape the witch. _

His fingers curled around her neck. She watched as Gothel's face turned red, then white, then purple.

"You are a fool and a bastard" she whispered, between sobs. "If you kill me, you'll never reach her. Never."

He wanted to. Oh, how he wanted to kill that woman. Not for his own pain but for Rapunzel's. For her prison, hidden beneath lace, paintings and the warm sun. For her lost parents, whose she never thought were hers. Only vague, distant personalities, king and queen sitting upon thrones that had nothing to do with her. Poor Rapunzel. And thinking that every year, on her birthday, Eugene sent a lantern into the skies, never dreaming that the lost princess would soon be the love of his life.

"Why do you say that?" he panted, firmly holding her against the bed but releasing the grip on her throat.

"They will never believe your word, smuggler. What do you pretend to do, once you rid yourself of my corpse? Storm to those mighty halls, saying you are the prince that came to rescue the poor princess? You are in no position to demand heroic acts, bastard."

"You wouldn't help me, either."

"Perhaps I would."

Eugene felt his chest swell with hope "How?"

"Well, there are terms. And I need you to a few things for me. If you accept, I'll let you see her. Perhaps even touch her."

It was a slow, painful torture "What are the terms?"

Gothel smiled "You wil kill the king of Corona."

* * *

><p>"I've had enough" she muttered in the dark. Jasper slept beside her, his arm clutching her waist, one hand cruely cupping a breast. "I've had enough. I've had enough."<p>

She looked around her, not daring to awaken her betrothed. She glimpsed a metal object placed on the end table: a small knife that Jasper used to cut the pages of his book. One stroke of that blade and he would be dead and bleeding in her bed. It would be so simple. It would be so sweet.

But Rapunzel was smarter. She knew she wouldn't have the courage to kill him; and if he woke as she lay the blade across his throat, he would beat _her_ bloodly and her nights would be endless nightmares.

No. Murder wasn't the way. Not now, at least. Not before she had conquered the trust of the maids and grooms of the castle. _I need their strength and their watch. I need their care. Only then will Jasper by powerless against all of their evidence. _

She would never stop fighting. But now it was time to turn the waters and show him who has the rightful princess of Corona. Jasper would never overpower her again. She would be demanding, proud and respectful. _No more. When Eugene arrives I will go to him. But I won't go bruised nor beaten. I've had enough. I've had enough._

She waited patiently until morning. While finally slowly tracing back to sleep, she felt Jasper's hand move and stroke her thighs; his cruel fingers searching through her mound for her wet core.

Rapunzel jolted from his touch and turned, facing him fully on the face.

"Jasper" she said. Her voice didn't betray her. She sounded fierce and almost as cruel and demanding as him. _It is good. It's going to be ok. _

"Have I hurt you? I thought you were toughening up, sweetling" he inserted two fingers inside her and she felt his length pressed against her thigh. _It will be ok. Be brave, Rapunzel. Just an act. Just an act. _

She slapped his hand away and climbed on top of him. The prince watched her with wide eyes, a smirk creeping across his face: "What are you doing, you whore?"

"You will not rape me again" she said, spreading her legs to his sides. _Not again, Rapunzel. You will be fierce. You will be demanding. You will be the rightful princess and future queen of Corona. _"If you wish to have me again, you will pleasure me, like a man. Facing me, like a man. I will not have you pumping behind me and making love to me like a dog."

_Making love to me. It's hardly making love._

She mounted him then and watched his expression change, from outraged to blissful. "Rapunzel..."

It was not his voice she wanted to hear. It was not those jade eyes she would like to gaze upon. She wanted Eugene and his scruffy goattee and his chocolaty eyes and his brave smile.

But she would hear him, until she had him in her hand. She would hear him every night and she would say his name out loud just because it had to be done. _Play the role of the whore, Rapunzel. Play the role of the loving wife. He will pay in the end._

_Yesterday I was a girl._

_Today I am a woman._

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><p><strong><em>AN: _A special, quick update for you. A lot of things happen here and the story suddenly turns to something different. I promised surprises, so you will have them. **

**Thank you for my last reviewer. Because you have no account it wasn't possible for me to thank you but I wanted to because I really cherish all my reviews, favs and PM's. I love _your_ love and feedback. **

**Yeah, I said it. I love feedback. So you know what to do ;) "Clicky the buttony" below and submit your review!**


	7. Chapter 7

_By Irith Ayllistira_

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><p><strong>THE HANGING<strong>

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><p><em>6.18 A.M, 11<em>_th__ November, Royal Castle of Corona_

_I bled today. Not from the core, for it drained out of its blood since Jasper first entered me. Spoiling me. I bled from the heart, because it was the first time I woke up in the morning and I didn't remember Eugene's face. _

_I just hold on to the premises: two brown eyes, looking at me with desperate lust; but were they round? Were they almond-shaped? And were the lashes curled or straight, long or short? Do his eyes glow in the starlight or do they remain dark?_

_My new life misleads me. Jasper's features start to merge with Eugene's – they are now the same man, the same beast, the same prince. Together they are a vicious creature, a creature whom I love and hate, a creature I wish dead and a creature I wish in my arms. How to separate the man that completes me the most and the man that tears me apart?_

_I don't even quite remember who I was before. A loving girl, perhaps, a girl that dreamed of starlight, smiling princes and animals that talked. I felt so protected in my ivory tower that all the shame and the hatred of the world passed me by. Oh, I just didn't know that all that shame and hatred were about to fall upon me with the fierceness of a God and the strength of a Titan. _

_How have I changed? Was it the rape, the beating, the lies? The thought of Jasper, killing my own soul, separating me from my true love and taking away my legitimate throne? _

_I don't dream anymore. My nights are colored red and white, a profound slumber that purges the filth from my body. Consciousness would definitely kill me and bring all hope to rest. At least the little bit of hope that still remains. _

_The worst thing is to willingly _mount him. _The worst thing is to smile as he thrusts his member in me and to moan whenever he pulls my hair, almost yanking it off. The worst thing is to cuddle beside him in bed and fake a fucking sigh, telling him how pleased I him with his performance. The worst thing is to tell him how excited I am to ride him in the morning and feel his seed spill inside me. _

_Oh, he likes his details._

_At least, as I kill my own values, my body preserves. With a satisfied _client_, Jasper has no need to tie me up or beat me with a belt. The pleasure of being pleased is greatest than the pleasure of pleasing – at least for a while, or so I pray for every night. _

_Is he more willing to share is secrets? Definitely. Jasper is filthy and trusts his filth too much. He believes that whenever something goes wrong he has the mouth and the strength to fix it. What he doesn't know is that the little dust that slips away builds up the stone that will knock him of the throne. I'm glad my enemy is dumber than what he thinks he is. _

_After today, more of that filth will come to me. I just have to be his loyal companion, the whore that hears the master's whispers and pleasures him until he goes to sleep, dreaming of all his plans. _

_I have to be silent and content until I slip a fucking rope around his throat. _

_My murderous thoughts don't alarm me. My murderous plans don't shock the silly girl that still lives in me. No one will ever climb my tower grabbing my hair . If anyone wants to climb the tower they have to find the door. _

_And behind the door I will wait, holding a knife._

_Holding a knife with the hand that already killed an innocent._

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><p><em><strong>AN: **_**Irith Ayllistra, AKA the Ghost Rider, makes an appearance. Barely fulfills the fans' wishes but at least gives a little taste of what may come, perhaps, in the next months or (who know?), years.**

**Click the button below to review. I might be quicker with the next update. **


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